CNN and Fox News actually agree that the Trump-Bannon blowup is really big news
Michael Wolff had quite the book launch on Wednesday. Before his new work, Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House, even went on sale, it hit No. 1 on Amazon after excerpts splashed across several news sites — and it became the rare top news story on all three cable news networks. At MSNBC, Lawrence O'Donnell gave a theatrical recap, and on CNN, Jake Tapper said thanks to Wolff's quotes from Stephen Bannon and President Trump's unusually personal pushback, "Washington is starting to resemble the final scene from Reservoir Dogs." The excerpts "range from the bizarre to the stunning and some may even have legal ramifications," Tapper said, running through some of the highlights.
CNN's Anderson Cooper called Wolff's book "a bombshell," and said "what's really interesting is the White House line of attack on Steve Bannon." He rolled his eyes at White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders "saying that the president's former campaign CEO and then chief White House political strategist did not have a lot of influence," and wondered at her defense of Trump "having conversations with someone that he believes has lost his mind."
At Fox News, Tucker Carlson had on Bannon biographer Keith Koffler, who said "Bannon is not going to react well" to Trump attacking him. "The problem for Trump is this," Koffler said. "He has basically declared war on Steve Bannon. Steve Bannon likes wars, and I think he's going to go for it. ... If Bannon damages him even a little bit, Trump cannot afford that."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On Laura Ingraham's Fox News show, Ann Coulter and Rich Lowry also puzzled out why Bannon and Trump would tear each other apart like this, wondering how it serves their shared interests. Watch below. Peter Weber
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Is ChatGPT's new search engine OpenAI's Google 'killer'?
Talking Point There's a new AI-backed search engine in town. But can it stand up to Google's decades-long hold on internet searches?
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: November 5, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: November 5, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Moldova's pro-West president wins 2nd term
Speed Read Maia Sandu beat Alexandr Stoianoglo, despite suspicions of Russia meddling in the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
2024 race ends with swing state barnstorming
Speed Read Kamala Harris and Donald Trump held rallies in battlegrounds over the weekend
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
North Korea tests ICBM, readies troops in Ukraine
Speed Read Thousands of North Korean troops are likely to join Russian action against Ukraine
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Women take center stage in campaign finale
Speed Read Harris and Trump are trading gender attacks in the final days before the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US election: who the billionaires are backing
The Explainer More have endorsed Kamala Harris than Donald Trump, but among the 'ultra-rich' the split is more even
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Supreme Court allows purge of Virginia voter rolls
Speed Read Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is purging some 1,600 people from state voter rolls days before the election
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Empowered' Steve Bannon released from prison
Speed Read Bannon was set free a week before Election Day and quickly returned to his right-wing podcast to promote Trump
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Canada accuses top Modi ally of directing Sikh attacks
Speed Read Indian Home Minister Amit Shah was allegedly behind a campaign of violence and intimidation targeting Sikh separatists
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published